Electrical connector



p 1948' c. w. DANN 2,450,271

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed March 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 68 Zhwmtor Charles W. Dan-r).

3 I? Bu may Gttomeg Patented Sept. 28, 1948 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Charles W. Dann, Orange. N. J., assignor to Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated. West Orange, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationMarch 7, 1945, Serial No. 581,520

4 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to multi-wire cable connectors of the so-called plug-in type. It relates more specifically to an electrical receptacle and plug as well as to the combination of plug and receptacle. The invention is particularly useful for plugs and receptacles and combinations thereof used for sound reproduction and/or recording.

In this art a shielded conductor has been used extending from thetransmitting to the amplifying station, as well as conductors for controlling a phonograph. While various means have heretofore been suggested for coupling leads to a phonograph for the operation of the same, they have all failed for one reason or another to accomplish these purposes efficiently. By the present invention new plugs and receptacles and new combinations of them are provided in such a way that they are particularly useful and convenient.

With this invention a novel receptacle can be readily produced which provides excellent shielding for one or more of the leads carried thereby as well as the contact connected to said lead or leads.

Other objects of this invention are: to provide a novel plug which may be readily produced and which provides excellent shielding for one or more of the leads carried thereby and the contact connected to said lead or leads; to provide a novel combination of plug and receptacle; and to pro-' vide a novel combination or plug and receptacle wherein a pair of cooperating contacts are well shielded in a very efficient and simple manner.

These as well as other objects of this invention will be apparent from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detail exploded perspective view of some of the parts of the receptacle;

Figure 2 is a similar view of parts of the plug:

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the plug and receptacle along line 33 of Fig. 6.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the plug and receptacle, with the housing of the plug and receptacle omitted, this view being taken ona plane about 90 from the plane of the section shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view of the outer end of the plug shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an outer end view of the receptacle shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a sectional view along line 1-7 oi Fig. 6;

' cylinder.

Figure 8 is a sectional view along line B--8 of Fig. 4;

Figure 9 is a sectional view along line 9-9 of Fig. 5;

Figure 10 is an enlarged side view partly in section showing how the multi-wire cable is connected to the combined clamp, strain relief, and electric static shield of this invention.

A short cylinder l of insulating material is provided having a thick wall. This cylinder, with its associated parts, constitutes a socket. A projecting cylindrical portion 2 Fig. 3) of cylinder i is of slightly less diameter than the Four longitudinal parallel holes, comprising the pairs of holes 3 and 3' disposed at right angles, extend through the cylinder I par allel to the axis of this cylinder. Enlarged cnds e and 4' of the holes 3 and 3', respectively, are provided, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Four larger holes 5 (Figs. 1 and 7) extend through the cylinder i parallel to the holes 3. One end of each of the holes 5 is reduced as shown at B in Fig. 7.

A disk .i of insulating material (Fig. 1) 0f the same diameter as the projection 2 is provided having rectanagular holes 8 therethrough for contacts or plugs aligned with the holes 5. Holes 9 and 9' are provided through the disk 1 so that they can be aligned with the holes 3 and 3' in cylinder i. A transverse or diametrical slot in is provided along-the outer face of the disk 7. A metal support or cross-piece i i is to be located in the slot l8. A cylindrical projection i2 which is a part of an electrical shield is provided on the support ii and is adapted to project through the disk and into the central opening l3 of the cylinder i. A lug i2 is provided on cylinder i2 and corresponding slots E2 in disk 'i and cylinder i in order to insure assembly of those parts in a predetermined proper angular position with relation to each other.

A thimble i i (Figs. 3 and 4) of insulating material is located in the opening i3 0! cylinder i.

It has an annular shoulder i5 cooperating with corresponding openings in said strap and crosspiece. Ihe radial arms of strap 20 are slightly wider than and therefore overlap the reduced portions of the radial arms oi the cross-piece 3 on which they bear. Strap 28 has a slot 28' which is engaged by a key or lug 20" on ring 16 to prevent the latter from turning. This strap 20 extends along the outer face of cross-piece II. The bolts 2| (Fig. 3) in holes 3' and 9 may be provided to attach the cylinder i to a support.

A metal strap 22 is kept by means of rivets 2| in assembled position with strap 20, cylinder I, and disk I. Shielding wings 23 are provided on the strap 22, these wings having slots 23' thereacross to provide lugs 24 for convenience in clamping a cable to said strap.

A support for cylinder. I may, for example, be provided comprising a metal cylinder 25 (Fig. 3), having a flange 26 at one end bearing against the disk I and having a flange 21 at its other end by which it can be attached in place, as indicated in Fig. 3, by bolts 28 to a support 29. However, either the plug or socket of this invention may be fixed in place and the other connected thereto, or they can be connected to the ends of separate leads and then connected together.

Female contacts 38 (Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7) are located in holes in the socket I and are maintained in position by the disk I in such manner that they are kept from turning but have some freedom of longitudinal movement. Four of these contacts are spaced in accordance with the holes 5 in cylinder 1 (Fig. 1) and one is located along the center line of this cylinder.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 7, each contact assembly 38 has a bottom wall 3| and side walls 32 with a right-angular contact spring 33 sprung between a slot 34 in the Wall 31 and the lugs 35 and 35' which are bent over extensions of the side walls 32. The entrance ends of these contacts can move laterally or float. The lugs 35 are bent up so as to rest against the end of a recess in disk 7 to keep the contacts 30 from coming out. Lugs 35 are provided along the side Walls 32 of the contacts 30 to keep the springs 33 positioned. Flared ends 31 of the contacts 38 guide the pins 58 (to be described) into position under springs 33.

The central female contact 38 is located in the thimble I4 (Fig. 4). The lugs 35 on this contact bear against the ring Hi to keep this contact from being pushed out when its mating plug is inserted. The opening of ring [-6 has an inner rectangular portion 16 in which said contact loosely fits and whereby the latter is prevented from turning.

- enclosed in the insulation 8!.

The plug in (right-hand portions of Figs. 3 and 4) will now be described. It comprises a disk 45 of insulating material having recesses 46 for heads of screw bolts 41. It is provided with an annular seat 48 for the rim of a metal cap 49 which is connected to disk 45 by bolts 41 that are screwed into the threaded lugs 50 on the inside of cap 49. A rirn 5i is provided for convenient detachment of the plug 40 by hand. A disk 52 of insulating material is provided having the same diameter as the seat 48. It is attached by rivets 53 (Fig. 4) to the disk 45. A tubular metal shield 54 is kept in fixed position along the axis of the plug 48 by radially-extending projections 55 having holes 55' therein through which the rivets 53 pass. These rivets 53 also pass through holes in disks 45 and 52.

A connector strap 56 (Figs. 2, 4 and 9) is provided and the rivets 53 maintain the same in assembled position, thus keeping the parts 45, 52, 55 and 56 secured together. The strap 56 is identical with the strap 20 of the socket or receptacle, and its arms are slightly wider than and therefore overlap the reduced portions of the shield projections 55 against which they bear.

Four male contacts 58 (Figs. 3, 5 and 9) are mounted in the disks 45 and 52 so that they can be plugged into the contacts 30. These contacts are loose or float in their mountings so that their ends have some freedom of lateral movement. Integral enlargements 59 having flat faces are provided on the pins 58 to keep them in place and to prevent them from turning. A longitudinal rib or guide 68 (Fig. 4) is provided on the shield 54. This rib fits into the slot 12" (Fig. 1) in the cylinder I. An annular internal recess 6| (Fig. 3) is provided at the outer end of the shield 54. This recess fits loosely over the reduced end 62 of the metal extension l2 in the socket I.

A cylindrical plug 53 (Fig. 4) of insulating material is provided inside of the shield 54. It has a reduced portion which provides an abutment that rests against an annular shoulder '64 on the inside of shield 54. A cylindrical plug 65 of insulating material of the same diameter as plug 63 rests against the plug 63. The reduced end 66 of plug 65 provides a shoulder which bears against the strap 56. The rib 66 (Fig. 8) coacts with a corresponding slot 66" in strap 56. The plugs 63 and 65 are thus secured in place and plug 65 and thereby the central contact 58 are prevented from turning.

A voice wire conductor 15 (Fig. 10) which is insulated as indicated at '16 and Well shielded by a braided metal shield ll has the bared end 18 thereof soldered in the hollow end 63 of the central contact 58, as shown at 69. The conductor 15 and other insulated conductors 80 are shown as These conductors 80 are for making the desired connections to a control device or other devices'in the known way. They carry heavy currents compared to the current in wire 15.

A combined shield and strain reliever 85 (Figs.

2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10) is provided. It comprises two.

semi-cylindrical mating clamping members 86 each having an enlarged semi-circular portion 81 at one end thereof. Each one is provided with opposltely extending flanges 83 (Fig. 2) terminating short of the outer end thereof. These portions 86 can'be clamped together by threaded bolts 89 passing through holes in the flanges 88. The flanges 88 are cut away at their face portions as indicated at 88'. to provide outwardly extending passageways for the three leads 80 as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Slots 98 (Figs. 9 and 10) are provided in the flanges 88 to receive the edges of the strap 56. Inwardly extending integral projections 9| (Figs. 4, 5 and 10) are provided at the outer extending slot '96 is provided across one of these lugs for passage of a lead 91 formed of twisted strands of the braided metal shield 17.

The bare braided lead 91 (Fig. 10) is connected by solder-ing to the upper left-hand prong 58 (Figs. 5 and 9). One of the leads 8!), which passes through the corresponding passageway 88' is similarly connected to the right upper prong 58 (Figs. 5 and 9). The other two leads 8!) which extend through the lower passageway 88' are connected .by the in a similar manner to the other two prongs 58 (Fig. This electrically connects all of the leads to the plug.

As will be understood from the above description, one of the prongs I of the plug, the upper left one in Fig. 5, has the ground lead 91 secured thereto. But since the combined strain relieverand shield 80 (Fig. 2) must be at the same ground potential as the braided shield ll, and mere contact between them at the passageway provided recesses 93 is not to be relied upon, electrical connection is made between the strap 56 (Fig. 5) and the prong 58 to which the lead 81 is soldered, by means of a short wire 88. Also in order effectively to ground the shielding parts ll. 20 and 22 of the socket or receptacle, and thereby avoid relying upon the uncertain electrical connection between the strap 22 and the braided shield ll of cable 8| when the latter is clamped to said strap by bending over, the lugs 24 thereof. the female contact 30 into which the upper left hand male contact 58 (Fig. 5) enters, namely, the upper right hand contact 30 (Fig. 6) is electrically connected by a short lead llll to the strap 20. All of the said'shlelding portions of the plug and receptacle are thus maintained at the same ground. potential as the braided shields l1 and llofthecables BI and 8|. I

Fig. ,4 illustrates in broken lines the case Where a cable 8!, similar to cable 8|, is attached to the receptacle or socket. The ground lead 91'. formed by twisted strands of the braided shield ll for the voice wire 18' of cable 8|, is connected by soldering to the female contact 30 (Fig. 6) to which lead IN is connected. The bared end of wire 18' is soldered to the central female contact 30, and bared ends of the control wires 80' are respectively soldered to the other three female contacts 30 which are adapted to receive the respective prongs 58 of the plug to which the bared ends of the corresponding leads 3% of cable 8! are respectively soldered. When the soldered connection between the voice wire it and the central contact so has been made, a piece of insulating material is placed over said connection and the wings 23 of strap 22 are then bent down over the lead 18' so as to effectively shield the latter.

It is to be noted that the short leg 33' of the spring 33 in each of the female contacts so not only serves to anchor said spring but also coacts with the outer end portions of the bottom and side walls and lugs 35 of the contact, to form a confining pocket for the solder used in securing 1 one of the leads to the contact; and constitutes a limit stop for the end of said lead.

It will be obvious that instead of fixing the socket or receptacle of my improved connector to a wall or other support as shown at 2T, 28 and as (Fig. 3) and pushing the plug to thereinto,

the plug may be fixed to a support and the socket pushed thereon, or the plug and socket may be respectively attached to free ends of cable sections and then connected together. When the plug 38 is the fixed part of the connector and the socket or receptacle is connected to the free end of a cable section, the cap 69 and combined shield and strain relief 85 of the plug are respectively replaced by the support or cylinder to and strap 22 of the receptacle (or by like parts), and the said support and strap of the receptacle are respectively replaced by the cap so and the shield and strain relief 85 of the plug (or by like parts). This can readily be done as the constructlon and dimensions of the plug and recepthe parts 22 and BI tacle are such that the parts 25 and I! and also are interchangeable. In this connection it may be noted that the cylinder 25 is of such internal diameter as to fit telescopically over the disk ll of the plug, and that the larger end portion of cap 48 is of such internal diameter as to iit telescopically over the disk I and the reduced portion 2 of cylinder i of the receptacle; and also that the slotted flanges 88 of the shield and strain relief 85, are adapted to be applied to the strap 20 (a duplicate of strap 56) of the receptacle with the edge portions of said strap seated in the slots 90 of said flanges. When the plug and receptacle are to be respectively connected to the free ends oi two cable sections, no change is made in the plug, but the support 25 and strap 22 of the receptacle are respectively replaced by substantial duplicates of the cap 49 and combined shield and strain relief 88 of the plug.

I claim: g

1. In an electrical connecting device for a multi-wire cable having a single wire thereof provided with metallic shielding: the combination of a socket-type connector comprising contact members for said shielding and cable wires respectively, an insulating housing carrying said contact members and exposing the same at an end of the housing, a first shield member for a single one of said contact members and electrically connected to another of said contact members. said housing having insulating means positioned about said single contact member and extending beyond the end thereof, said insulatlng means being arranged to provide a locating opening in said housing at said single contact member; and a plug-type connector adapted for coupling to said socket-type connector and comprising an insulating body, connector pins carried by said body and projecting from an end thereof for connection with said contact members respectively, a second shield member for the connector pin corresponding to said single contact member and projecting from said insulating body, said second shield member being engageable with said locating opening in only one angular relation of said connectors to each other and being electrically connected to the connector pin corresponding to said other contact memher to cause said shield members to be positively electrically connected together when said connectors are in coupled relation to each other.

2. In an electrical connecting device for a multi-wlre cable having a single wire thereof provided with metallic shielding: the combination of a socket-type connector comprising contact members for said shielding and cable wires respectively, an insulating housing carrying said contact members and having openings in an end face thereof to expose the ends of said contact members, said housing having a recess extending from said end face and surrounding that one of said contact members corresponding to the shielded wire of said cable, and a first shield member in said recess around said one contact member, said first shield member being electrically connected to another of said contact members; and a plug-type connector adapted to be joined to said socket-type connector in one relation only, said plug-type connector comprising an insulating body, connector pins carried by said body and projecting from an end face thereof for connection with said contact members respectively, a second shield membersurrounding the connector pin corresponding to said one contact member and projecting from said insulating body to engage said recess as said connectors are joined together, said second shield member being electrically connected to the connector pin corresponding to said other contact member to cause said first and second shield members to be positively electrically connected together by said other contact member and corresponding connector pin when said connectors are joined together.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2, wherein said second shield member projects beyond said connector pins and is adapted to engage said recess in only one relation of said connectors to each other.

4. In an electrical connecting device for a multiwire cable having a single central wire thereof provided with metallic shielding: the combination of a socket-type connector comprising contact members for said shielding and cable wires respectively, an insulating housing carrying said contact members and exposing the same at an end of the housing, the one contact member corresponding to said shielded cable wire being at the axis of said housing, a first shield member surrounding only said one contact member and electrically connected to another of said contact members, said housing having insulating means positioned about said one contact member and extending beyond the end of said one member, said insulating means being arranged to provide a locating opening in said housingabout said one member; a plug-type connector comprising an insulating body, connector pins carried by said body and projecting from an end thereof for connection with said contact members respectively, a second shield member surrounding the connector pin corresponding to said other contact member so that said shield members are positively electrically connected to each other whn said connectors are joined together; and a clamping device secured to the outer end portion of said second shield member, said clamping device having an outer portion for said cable as a whole and an inner restricted portion for only said centrally-located shielded wire.

CHARLES W. DANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hill July 28, 1908 Kuhn et a1. Jan. 21, 1919 Raettig May 30, 1922 Rosenzweig Oct. 9, 1928 Staley June 8, 1937 Schneider June 20, 1939 Browne Oct. 14, 1941 Del Camp Oct. 21, 1941 Del Camp Oct. 21, 1941 Zelov Nov. 5, 1946 Number 

